


this too shall pass

by patinamillersbiceps



Category: Falsettos - Lapine/Finn
Genre: Nothing is Awful AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-28
Updated: 2016-12-28
Packaged: 2018-09-12 20:09:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9088477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patinamillersbiceps/pseuds/patinamillersbiceps
Summary: Mendel thinks it's time for a career change.





	

The only thing worse than hating your job was hating your job when you used to love it. Mendel knew that because that’s exactly how he felt. 

 

“If I have to listen to another yuppie fart complain about donating to charity I’m going to lose it” he said through gritted teeth, “but knowing my luck, that’s what my very first patient of the day will be ragging on about tomorrow morning. Goddamn Reaganites.” He opened the door and set his briefcase down by the coatrack. 

 

“Hi honey!” Trina called from the kitchen, where Mendel could smell dinner cooking.    


“Hi honey.” Mendel replied, walking into the kitchen and ruffling Jason’s hair in greeting while his step-son poured over a textbook, studying. “How was both of your days?”

 

“The usual.” Trina said, taking a casserole out of the oven, “Although Cordelia called, the wedding she was supposed to cater on New Years Eve got canceled so she and Charlotte are hosting a little family party.” 

 

“That sounds fun, just don’t let her let Marvin and Whizzer quote-unquote ‘help’ again; Hanukkah was a disaster.” Mendel turned to Jason, “What about you, kid? Do anything fun in school today? 

 

“Not really.” Jason said dejectedly. “We’re supposed to be learning about physics in science class but I can’t seem to get it and Mr. Finn said he doesn't get why it’s not coming easy to me because I’m normally really good at math and science so I think I _ should _ be able to do physics well but I’m just...not.” Mendel nodded, listening to his step-son. Now, this was a problem that Mendel could deal with. 

 

He pulled up a chair to sit across from Jason. “I’m sorry to hear that, bud.”  he said, “Is that your science textbook here?” 

 

“Yeah.”

 

Mendel pointed to the example question that Jason was working on, “Why don’t you show me one place in this problem here where you think you're messing up and we’ll just focus on that little thing and we’ll work from there, yeah?”   

 

Trina watched as her husband talked with Jason. She knew Mendel didn’t know anything about physics, but he didn’t need to. It soon became apparent that what was stopping Jason from nailing the problem was that he was approaching it too broadly and was then getting stressed about not understanding it, which caused him to not be able to focus on the problem at hand at all. Overthinking. He was just like Marvin in that sense. 

 

It always amazed her how good he was with Jason, and with children in general. Sometimes, she wondered if Mendel wished that he and Trina had had a child together, but whenever she saw him with her son, she knew that Mendel considered Jason to be his son too, no questions asked. 

 

Trina waited until Jason had finished the physics problem in his textbook until she made her boys get up and help her set the table for dinner. 

 

Later that night, after Jason had gone to bed, Mendel and Trina sat in the living room with glasses of wine, only half paying attention to to the program on the television. 

 

“I never asked you, how was your day dear?” Trina asked. 

 

“Terrible. Again.” He said. “Day after day I have to listen to these god-awful Reaganites complain about how  _ hard _ their lives are and I know, I know suffering isn’t a competition and someone always has it worse, but _ god _ , I talk to Charlotte about what’s happening at the hospital and men are dying in droves, no one can save them, and no one in charge anywhere seems to care. So I have to listen to all of these assholes complain, and I have no idea how to help them, so I just sit there listening to it and asking, ‘and how does that make you feel?’ and I feel so completely useless and I’m sick of it.” He paused for a moment, thinking. “In fact, helping Jason with his homework today was the first time in a long time I felt like I was actually helping someone.” 

 

Trina nodded, listening. “I know you’re unhappy at work, and you’ve felt that way for a long time. Have you considered a career change? Is there anything else you can do with your degree instead? Like teaching psychology?”

 

“I wish. Teaching doesn’t really pay the bills.”   

 

“That’s too bad. You’re so good with kids.” 

 

“You think so?” 

 

Trina could see the gears starting to turn in her husband’s head.  “What are you thinking about dear?” 

 

A grin spread across Mendel’s face. “A friend of mine from college emailed me recently. He’s opening up a practice here in Manhattan. For child psychology. I had forgotten about it until now.”

 

“What! Mendel, that’s perfect!” Trina exclaimed.

 

“You think so? It probably won’t pay as good as my current job-” 

 

Trina shook her head. “You deserve to be doing something that makes you happy. And besides,” she added quickly, “I was thinking, possibly, about maybe getting a job myself. Possibly. I don’t know.” She ducked her head down, embarrassed. “And it’s not because I don’t think you’re a good provider, I just feel like I could be doing  _ more _ , you know?” Mendel leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. 

 

“I understand. You deserve to be doing something that makes you happy too, Trina.” 

  
She smiled, kissing his cheek and curling up closer to him. “Everything will be alright.”  

**Author's Note:**

> kinda unsatisfied with the ending, but what can you do.


End file.
